How Do Businesses Make a Case for Sustainability?

Your company may be committed to sustainability and you’ve taken the bold step of hiring a CSO within your organization. Perhaps you design or manufacture an energy-efficient product line. But getting the entire company and decision-makers onboard can still be a challenge. It starts from the top.

Recognize the role of company leadership in setting the tone for sustainable and equitable practices. If company executives are dedicated to change and advocacy, this will be reflected in the entire company’s ethos.”

Iwan Nassimi, Executive VP, Nassimi

Knowing the facts and presenting them compellingly and attractively to a senior leader is critical in making change. Attend conferences (both in-person and online) and learn from your peers in your industry -- and others -- how a sustainability plan benefits their company and community.Just as companies measure profitability and customer satisfaction, they are being pushed by their customers to demonstrate that they are committed to a greener agenda. “With an increased consciousness about ESG, particularly among younger generation employees, companies are using sustainability policies as a recruiting and retention tool. Larger businesses increasingly have a Chief Sustainability Officer (or similar) whose mandate is to ensure the company is maximizing its sustainability efforts and minimizing its carbon footprint. Similarly, within communities, clean energy advocates can be effective promoters. Also, certain states (including CA) have implemented Energy Benchmarking programs for commercial and industrial properties, mandating annual energy usage reporting and publishing each building's results/grade. The more efficient buildings, in theory, would be the most marketable to prospective tenants.” - Peter Grabell, Senior Vice President, Dividend Finance Inc.

"Businesses can advocate for sustainability through media and leading by example."

Wayne Turett, RA, Founder and Principal of The Turett Collaborative

"It's more efficient and economical for companies to develop a cohesive, holistic sustainability strategy that gets ahead of inevitable regulatory requirements, shareholder expectations, consumer demands, etc. The public, as well as state/federal governments, are demanding action. Green teams are great advocates within companies because they bring together voices from disparate departments. However, leadership needs to provide the vision and ask for results.”

Anna Dengler, Senior Sustainability Advisor, Great Forest

"Businesses can now make the strong case that economic and environmental sustainability are fully interwoven. The best advocates are those at any level that are knowledgeable and know how to communicate the economic value of sustainable development."

Vince Myers, AIA, LEED AP, President, DIGroup Architecture LLC

"We believe that one of the most effective ways to make a case for sustainability is for companies and organizations to set an internal price on the carbon emitted from their operations and construction. By setting a price on carbon emissions – one that accurately captures the external costs of emissions on the environment and human populations – we can start to incentivize meaningful reductions in carbon emissions.”

Dalton Ho, LEED AP BD+C and Senior Sustainability Advisor, Perkins&Will

"It’s simply smart business...making people understand why it’s in their financial interest to implement more sustainable practices and helping them understand where the return on investment on some of these programs come from. One point that businesses should emphasize, particularly now, is that sustainable buildings are healthy buildings.”

Brad Dockser, CEO and Co-Founder, GreenGen